Another Path
by goodfairyofny
Summary: Just another Rita and Raven meet up later and realize they like each other kind of story. The usual Vesperia spoilers apply. Not sure how long this one will be yet.
1. Chapter 1

1

It had been three years since Brave Vesperia had saved the world. Raven was well aware that time was passing, and it was evident in sixteen year old Karol's newfound height and slenderness that the kids were growing up. Yet it still surprised him like a punch to the gut when Rita approached them where they waited on the bridge in Dahngrest. She greeted Karol with a slap upside the head, even though his head was way above hers now. The next surprise was that an actual punch to Raven's stomach didn't come. Instead she smiled (_smiled!_) at him. "Hey," she said casually. Raven had to swallow the lump in his throat as he took in the complete picture of her. Long, wavy hair, more angular features to her face, the curviness of her chest that was much fuller than it had been three years ago, the flattering leggings that made her legs look endless even though she hadn't grown much taller. And she was clearly wearing a touch of makeup. Makeup! On Rita! His eyes fell on her glossy lips, which had shifted from a smile to a pout during his silence. Nineteen looked _real_ good on her. "Ritacchi, h-hey," he finally stuttered. Her smile was back, sly this time.

She'd been working mostly in the capital since the fall of the adephagos, a place that Raven avoided at all costs. Rita was the best of the imperial mages, and always had been. It was no surprise that the commandant asked for her personally on most matters involving magic, or a work around for the fact that she had almost single handedly (the rest of Brave Vesperia had helped… a _little_) converted all of the blastia in the world into spirits. Well, except for one, but Raven wasn't about to let anyone know about his heart, as he wasn't interested in being studied by anyone. Except maybe Rita. But maybe not quite in the way others would like to study him. Raven had seen most of their other friends from time to time over the years, but Rita was kept so busy that he hadn't seen her one single time. Harry finally had a reason to need a mage's services, and Karol was quick to suggest their very own genius mage. Raven expected her to turn down the job. When she accepted it, he still didn't expect her to show up. Until she did, and was standing before him, smelling like something deliciously floral. He'd always liked her a little more than he should have. It was going to be a challenge to keep that under wraps with what the way she looked and smelled like was doing to him on the inside. And she hadn't even hit him yet!

Raven was so stuck in his own head that he completely missed an entire exchange between Rita and Karol. He was thankfully a lot smarter than he liked people to think he was, so he was able to figure out pretty quickly that he and Karol were accompanying her to some nearby ruins to look for a thing that Harry wanted her to check out. "That's okay with you, right?" Rita asked. "Harry said he could spare you for a few days." Raven nodded. "Absolutely." He could have said no. He was actually pretty important in the Union and could have begged off. He _would_ have said no and stuck the kid with the job had it been anyone else. But it was Rita, so he practically volunteered himself (or would have had he been paying attention to a word they had been saying). She wanted to go right away to see what they would be dealing with at the ruins.

* * *

They barely got through the door before the monster attacks began. Rita was one of the only people left who could use magic, because she understood how to communicate with the spirits. Raven was one of the only others. He had no idea how to talk to the spirits, but he had the only working blastia in the world. It usually sucked to be him, but this was not one of those times. Karol was good enough with an axe to not need the magic really. Raven could handle everything with his bow if he had to, and he typically did around others who had no idea that he had a rock for a heart, but in these deserted ruins with these two, he didn't think twice about casting a spell. He was calling to the wind when Rita settled in beside him casting fire. As soon as their spells had gone off, she bumped him with her hip. "Hey there, hot stuff," she said with a wink. Raven's mouth fell open a little. Maybe more than a little. "Me?!" he asked in disbelief, pointing his thumb into his chest to be sure she understood what he was asking. "Who else could I have meant?" she asked, one eyebrow raised. And then she scurried off to the other side of the battle ground, casting at another enemy. Raven stood there for a moment, staring after her and willing his leg to stop tingling where she'd bumped him.

* * *

That night, he heard a soft knock at the door to his room in the Union. He opened it to find Rita standing there, hand on one hip, bag slung over her shoulder. "Hey," she said. "The kid said you had a pretty big room. Can I crash?" She was standing really close to him, speaking quietly. Probably trying to not disturb anyone else because it was late. "Sure," he said, opening the door wider. She pranced inside and dropped her bag by the sofa in the corner. His room was the largest except for Harry's. His old room before the spirit conversion had barely been bigger than a closet. This one had a small kitchenette and a private bath. Plenty of room for a couch on one end and a king sized bed on the other, and enough room in between for a dance floor, although he left it empty. Rita glanced around the room, taking it all in. "Just one bed," she noted. He nodded. "Go ahead and take the bed, honey, the couch is fine for me." She looked up at him underneath her extremely long lashes. "I was thinking it would be more fun to share the bed, actually."

She excused herself to the bathroom to change. Raven was already in sleep clothes. He waited anxiously for her to return. If his heart could beat, it would have been pounding. A few minutes later, she returned wearing shorts and a tank top. She smiled at him and slipped into the bed. He turned off the lights and slid in beside her, not realizing that she was facing in. They bumped heads. "Oww," he muttered, pulling back sightly. She giggled and he could see her expression clearly now that his eyes had adjusted. She looked amused and interested, two things Raven had never seen simultaneously on her face before. "Sorry," he said as he tried to appear comfortable despite all the tension he was feeling. They laid next to each other, looking at one another and neither saying a thing for several minutes. An unexpected clap of thunder sent them jumping closer together, her hands coming up to his chest, and his at her arm just below her shoulder. "Was that-" she began. "Thunder," he finished. "Right," she replied, still touching his chest as she worked on steadying her breath. He let his hand fall from her arm, settling instead at her waist. She raised an eyebrow, challenging him to make a decision. Raven thought it was ridiculous that he could see every detail of her expression in the dark. The floral scent was assaulting his senses, making it hard to think about what was right. He closed his eyes for a moment and breathed in deeply. When he opened his eyes, he slowly let it back out, feeling a bit steadier. "Are you alright?" she asked calmly. He had no idea how she was so calm when he felt like a storm on the inside. "Yeah," he said, thinking he had everything under control. He would do what was right. He could handle it. Until she let one of her hands slide down, slipping it beneath the hem of his shirt and caressing his stomach. Instinct had him leaning in, pressing his lips to hers breathlessly, feeling completely out of control. He pulled back when he realized his mistake, searching her expression, waiting for the anger and the physical pain she would surely send his way. That's what was normal. But it didn't come. "Raven," she sighed. It wasn't the usual, frustrated kind of sigh that typically accompanied his name, but the out of control kind that had him bringing his lips back to hers. This time her hand reached up to tangle in his hair, to keep hold of him so he couldn't pull away again. He spent what felt like hours kissing her, before finally breaking it off and pulling her close into his chest, both of them drifting off to sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

2

They spent the next few weeks together, excavating ruins during the day and sleeping in each other's arms at night. Raven wasn't sure he could sleep without her at this point; it was funny how quickly some things became habits. Estelle had requested that all of Brave Vesperia make an appearance at the castle. A dinner together since they hadn't all been in the same place for years. Rita headed to Zaphias with Karol and Raven. She had worried that the kid would be weirded out by this thing she had going on with Raven, but he hadn't said anything so she didn't either. Easier for her if he didn't ask any questions.

When they arrived together, Estelle and the others were already waiting for them. "Oh, I'm so happy that you're all here! Let me show you where your room is, Rita! Yuri, would you show the boys where they'll be staying?" Rita glanced over her shoulder, meeting Raven's eye as Yuri led him away down a different corridor. She wasn't sure how she felt about it. They'd been sharing a home and a bed for weeks now. Rita hated to admit it, but she'd slept better over the past few weeks than she had since they all travelled together years ago. It was hard going from 8 companions to complete silence. She really, _really_ hated to own up to loneliness, but it was obviously what it was, right? She was with everyone and fine, then she was alone and not fine, and she hadn't felt lonely anymore since she was with Raven. Well not _with_ Raven. Staying with Raven.

Even though they were all there already before dinner, Estelle wanted to have the big reunion dinner with everyone the following night. Rita thought that was weird since they were all there already and definitely hungry. They ended up in the dining hall eating dinner next to each other anyway, but Estelle insisted that tomorrow's dinner would be extra special. Well, whatever. Rita was distracted. She was squished between Karol and Patty, ugh. Raven was not directly across from her, but one seat over. It made it hard to look at him without being super obvious about it. When she did sneak a look at him, he was looking her way, too. He winked before turning to Judith and starting a conversation. She knew they were all friends and it shouldn't have been a big deal, but seeing him pay attention to Judith after all these years bothered her. She was still frowning when her eyes shifted to Estelle, who was sitting directly across from her smiling widely. Yuri let out a short laugh. "Some things never change, am I right?" he said while staring directly at Rita who turned a light shade of crimson as everyone's eyes flickered to her.

After dinner, everyone went to their rooms for the evening. Rita found herself laying on top of her bed, staring at the ceiling for what felt like forever. A quick check of the clock said it had only been an hour, but she was sure this would be her entire night if she didn't do something to change it. She slipped out into the hallway despite the fact that she was wearing her bed clothes (a tank top and very short shorts). It was dark in most of the corridors. Dinner had lasted until late, but she still found it odd that the entire castle would be dark for the night by 11:30. Thankfully she had asked the kid earlier where their rooms were. Rita took a deep breath and knocked softly on Raven's door.

He answered after a moment. His lights were dim but not off. Rita felt relieved to not be the only person still awake in the entire castle. Raven gestured for her to come in, then shut the door gently behind her. Rita looked up into his eyes and spoke. "I don't think I'm going to be able to sleep in my room." He raised an eyebrow at her. "And why's that?" he asked softly. "Because you're not there," she said, barely above a whisper. "Can I - stay here with you?" she asked. It wasn't like Rita to be timid. There had never been one single timid thing about the girl, at least not that Raven had ever seen. Embarrassment, sure, but it always came with fire, not shyness. He smiled gently to reassure her. "Of course you can, darlin'," he said. She climbed into the bed and he slid in beside her. He immediately wrapped his arms around her, and he felt her relax right away. Rita was quiet for awhile before she spoke. "I don't think I like being around everyone right now. It makes me miss you too much." Raven laughed unexpectedly into her neck, deciding to go with the moment and leave a few kisses there before he responded. "I guess you'll just have to stay with me, then, darlin'." Rita slept better than ever that night.

* * *

The next morning when the others met in the dining room for breakfast, Estelle came in frantic. "What's wrong, Estelle?" Yuri asked, really to fight whatever battle she needed him to. "Rita's bed hasn't been slept in and I couldn't find her anywhere!" she said, distressed. Karol blushed. "Uhhh, I mean… she's probably with Raven." Everyone stared at him, which made him even more uncomfortable because he had been working hard to never, ever bring the subject up with Rita and Raven and now he was going to have to talk about it in front of everyone! "Talk," Yuri said coldly. "Well, she's been staying with Raven for like weeks now. And I mean, he only has the one bed, so like. I just figure that's probably where she is," he muttered.

When Rita and Raven showed up to breakfast, separately because she had to go back to her room to change, no one said anything. It wasn't until after that Estelle and Judith cornered her with the rouse of wanting to plan outfits for the dinner (already not Rita's favorite topic). "Are you and Raven sleeping together?" Judith asked bluntly. Estelle burst into flames. "Judith!" she exclaimed. Rita shook her head, but didn't say anything. "Well, what is it then?" Judith asked. "We're just… sleeping. Like, actually _sleeping_ together. And occasionally kissing. A little. Okay, maybe more than a little," she rambled, feeling her face flush to rival Estelle's. "Are you happy?" Estelle asked curiously. Rita felt at peace with her answer. "I am. I really am."

* * *

After the big dinner, Rita asked Raven if she could join him in his room. She was sitting cross legged on his bed looking slightly anxious when he sat down across from her. He knew she had something on her mind, so he simply waited. "Listen, I really… like spending time with you." He opened his mouth to respond, but she reached out and put a hand on his chest. "Let me finish, okay? I sleep good when I'm in the same room as you. The closer you are to me, the better I rest. I thought it was just that at first, but I like being with you. I like searching through ruins with you, fighting beside you, cooking a meal together… I just all around like it when we're together. I don't want to go back home when this project is over. I want to stay with you. Is that alright?" Raven smiled at her. "I want you to stay, too, for as long as you want." They spent a long time kissing that night, and every night after for a very long time.


End file.
